


playing with the big boys now

by callunavulgari



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: Crossover, F/M, M/M, Multi, Mythology - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 16:36:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/700405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callunavulgari/pseuds/callunavulgari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're a child of Hades, aren't you?" the boy says, tucking his hands into his pockets, unconcerned with the way Annabeth is glowering at him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	playing with the big boys now

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a music meme. Song was [The Burning Bush by Hans Zimmer.](http://youtu.be/GrUTsJ-8s1k)

Nico isn't made for the heat. He's built for the chill, damp space under the earth—the quiet dark of Percy and Annabeth's apartment. He's part shadow, part cool grave soil, and Alexandria is entirely too hot. Beside him, Annabeth has donned a hat that she bought off a street vendor at random, the brim drooping to obscure her sunburnt cheeks, the color clashing with her hair. She's sweating just as badly as he is, muttering curses under her breath as Percy meanders off ahead of them, a huge smile on his face. Of the three of them, he's the only one who seems to be unbothered by the dry, arid heat, though whether that's because they're right next to the Medittarian or he's just _that_ stubborn is beyond him.  
  
"I still say we shouldn't have come here," Annabeth whispers, tugging at the flimsy scarf wrapped around her neck. Her fingers are even sunburnt, just this faint flush of red that has Nico thanking every god and goddess that he can think of that he doesn't burn easy. "This isn't our turf, we shouldn't _be_ here."  
  
Nico shrugs at her, content to ignore the uneasy feeling in his gut for a little while longer. "Do we even know anything about the Egyptian gods?" he asks her, because this is _their_ little mission, he's just along for the ride. He doesn't know jack shit about the gods of Egypt except that they may or may not be older than the Greeks. Annabeth glances over her shoulder at him, disbelieving, and he knows that look—that's the look she gets when she thinks that certain knowledge should be obvious to everyone, not just brainy Athena chicks. Which, okay, whatever, maybe Egyptian mythology is obvious to some people, but the last time Nico was in school was about half a century ago. He has the right to be a little rusty on the history of other countries.  
  
"You're kidding me, right?" she asks, and doesn't get any further than that because somewhere down the street Percy lets out a squawk of surprise.  
  
When they catch up, there's a kid leaned up against the building next to Percy, arms crossed and mouth a thin, unhappy line.  
  
"You shouldn't be here, half-blood," he's saying, and Nico blinks, because he's pretty sure that the kid isn't a monster—  
  
But then the kid turns a bit, so he's not just a study in profile anymore and Annabeth stops dead next to him and hisses, "Why do you look—"  
  
"—Like me?" Nico finishes, eyes tracing over the kids face—cheekbones that he's used to looking at in the mirror, dark eyes that narrow when they slide over to look at him. The kid shifts against the wall, and now that Nico's really looking for the similarites, they're _everywhere._ The shades of their skin, the sleep-bruising beneath their eyes, even the way they dress. If Nico hadn't let Annabeth dress him today in a white cotton shirt and a lighter pair of jeans, they'd be damn near identical, like twins.  
  
The boy sighs, returning his gaze to Percy, who still hasn't managed to stop gaping at him. "There are three of you?" the kid asks, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please, please tell me that there aren't more, it's a miracle the House of Life hasn't already noticed you."  
  
Beside him, Annabeth draws herself up to her full height and snaps, "Hey, we asked you a question!"  
  
The boy turns away from Percy again, annoyance creasing his brow, and finally pushes off of the wall. As he draws closer, something starts to feel off, and it takes Nico a moment or so to pinpoint the feeling. "You feel like death," he breathes, and the kid stops a foot away from him, the annoyance seeping away when the corners of his mouth lift into a smirk.  
  
"You're a child of Hades, aren't you?" the boy says, tucking his hands into his pockets, unconcerned with the way Annabeth is glowering at him.  
  
Nico shrugs, fighting the urge to stick his hands into his own pockets. "That's why then," the kid says, leaning forward until he's too far into Nico's space, just skirting the edges of uncomfortable. "Why we look so similar. All children of death share the same basic characteristics, ours just got skewed a little closer than normal."  
  
The kid smiles, a wicked twist to his lips that makes Nico think of his dad, of Bianca, of Hazel, and all the other children of death that he's run into. "The name's Anubis," the kid says, removing a hand from his pocket and offering it to shake, ignoring the little gasp that comes out of Annabeth's mouth. "And you're on my soil right now, so you should really come with me."


End file.
